Tragedy and Tears Revised Version
by MintyFresh007
Summary: (WIP) Hermione's world is turned upside-down; Harry is murdered, Ron wants revenge and leaves Hermione alone. It seems like no one understands her, until an unlikly fellow comes along. HrD. Please rr! First draft, BTW.
1. Tragedy Hits Home

**Disclaimer:** Everyone knows I didn't create these characters or the magical world of Harry Potter, so why must I write one of these?

**(A/N: I decided to edit this story and make it longer and more thorough, so I adapted it from a screenplay I wrote of the same story. I hope that just made sense! Anyway, enjoy!)**

Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the Gryffindor Common Room late one night. Ron was sitting on the couch by the crackling fire, sorting through his hundreds of wizard cards. Hermione was doing homework at the table, as usual, and Harry was sitting in a broken down armchair, his head resting on his arm and a newspaper in his lap. The headline read "You-Know-Who Strikes Again!" Harry sat for a moment, thinking, when suddenly he popped up out of his chair.

"We have to go after him," he said. "This can't go on any longer."

Ron turned around from his cards, looking confused. "What, Harry?"

"Voldemort is killing more and more innocent people every day. It has to stop!" Harry yelled.

"There's nothing we can do," Ron said quietly, "V-v-_Voldemort_ is more powerful than us, we'd be killed."

"We shouldn't..." Hermione started, but she was interrupted by Harry.

"Fine!" he shouted. "If you two are too...too _cowardly_ to do anything, I'll do it myself!"

Ron stood up quickly, knocking his precious cards to the ground, though he barely noticed. "No, Harry, you can't fight him!"

Hermione sat watching the boys argue, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"He killed my parents, Ron," Harry continued. "Wouldn't you want to kill the bastard too?"

Ron didn't know what to say; he knew Harry's parents has been murdered when he was only a baby. "I know, Harry. I just don't want to see my best friend along with the rest of those innocent people."

Harry took this into consideration, but changed his mind quickly. "I'm going," he stated simply.

Hermione jumped up from the chair she was sitting upon. "Harry, please!" She walked quickly over to Harry and wrapped her arms around him tightly, put Harry pushed her hard enough to make her stumble backwards and fall. Hermione scraped her arm on the table on her way down.

Ron was outraged. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked Harry.

Harry stood staring at Hermione and Ron with an expressionless face. He was already gone. "Don't try to stop me." Hermione sat holding her bleeding arm tenderly, now sobbing. "I'll be back once he's dead." With that, Harry walked to the portrait hole and crawled through it. Ron stared, stunned, after him.

"R-Ron..." Hermione started.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked, kneeling on the ground next to her. "You're bleeding."

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," she said between sobs.

"I'm just...going to bed now. I guess I'll...see you in the morning," Ron said slowly. He got off the ground and climbed the spiral staircase ever so slowly.

Hermione didn't know if Ron was really going to bed, but she thought she had better leave him alone for awhile. "Damnit, Harry!" she exclaimed.

* * *

The next day, the Gryffindor students had Divination. They sat in poofy beanbags and rustic armchairs all over the room. There were tea pots, tea cups and bowls of tea leaves in front of each student. Professor Trelawny, a gangly old woman with wild hair and thick spectacles, was sitting cross-legged in an orange armchair in front of the class.

"Now, my dear children," Professor Trelawny started. Lavender and Parvati picked up their tea cups excitedly as the professor spoke. Hermione, who was sitting in a beanbag next to Ron, rolled her eyes. "Pour the hot water into your teacups, and do be careful not to burn yourself. I don't want to be sending anyone to the infirmary.

Neville Longbottom tried to pour water into his teacup, but his hands were so shaky he dropped the teapot. The fine china shattered and all the water silled on him. "Ouch!" he exclaimed as the hot water reached his skin. Professor Trelawny looked up.

"Oh, dear," she said. "Mr. Longbottom, what did I just tell you?" She noticed the shattered teapot and grabbed the biggest piece gingerly. "And it just had to be the pink one, I was quite fond of it." Sighing, she hurried to help Neville while the rest of the students laughed. Ron, being the comic he was, laughed with everyone but Hermione had something else on her mind. Noticing the look on her face, Ron stopped laughing.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked. "Weren't you even watching?" Hermione didn't reply. She merely played with her tea leaves, crunching them in her fingers. Ron put his arm around her shoulders, understanding instantly what she's thinking about. "He'll come back," he said. "I know he will." Hermione smiled a bit.

Professor Trelawny came over, obviously annoyed over Neville and his clumsiness, and saw Hermione's mutilated tea leaves. "Dear heavens, child!" she exclaimed. "You've ruined perfectly good tea leaves! Now how do you intend on completing your project?"

At that very moment, there was a knock on the trapdoor. The professor looked up, now in a very bad mood. "Oh, what is it?" she said angrily. She opened the trapdoor and Professor McGonnagal climbed up, having a bit of trouble with her long robes. Once she reached the top, she whispered something in Trelawny's ear, who then gasped and jumped back.

"I knew it!" Trelawny exclaimed. "I saw it in my crystal ball a couple weeks ago..." She stopped talking when Professor McGonnagal gave her a sharp look. Trelawny cleared her throat nervously. "Uh, will Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger please go with Professor McGonnagal?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, thinking they were in trouble. They clambered out of their beanbags and as they began walking towards the trapdoor, the rest of the class started whispering. Ron threatened one of the boys, clenching his fists, but Hermione grabbed his arm. "Don't," she said quietly. Professor McGonnagal climbed down the ladder first, and when Ron and Hermione reached the ground as well, McGonnagal slammed the trapdoor in Professor Trelawny's face, who was trying to peek down at them.

Professor McGonnagal was walking down the long staircase quickly, and Ron and Hermione were having a hard time keeping up with her.

"Uh, Professor?" Ron said, slightly winded.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley?"

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Yeah," Hermione piped in. "Are we in trouble? Whatever it is, I swear, I had nothing to do with it!"

Professor McGonnagal, remaining expressionless, answered, "No, you aren't in trouble. Professor Dumbledore would like to have a word with you about something."

"Like?" Ron inquired.

"You'll just have to wait," McGonnagal answered. "Please, no more questions." Ron and Hermione were getting really confused, but they kept following the Professor. After walking for what seemed like hours, they arrived at a mahogany door with a shiny golden handle.

"Just go up the stairs and through the door at the top," said McGonnagal. "Professor Dumbledore will be waiting." She appeared to be getting emotional. All of a sudden she reached out and hugged a very shocked Ron, then Hermione, and she walked away rather quickly, clearly sobbing.

"What's wrong with her?" Hermione asked as soon as the Professor was out of earshot.

"I don't know," Ron answered. "Hey; what's the password?"

"Oh, no! McGonnagal didn't tell us! We'll just have to guess."

Ron looked shocked. "What? Where do we even start? There's millions of possibilities!"

"Well, let's try Muggle sweets...everyone knows Dumbledore loves them. Um, gummy bears?" The magical door didn't budge. Ron and Hermione continued to yell out words, hoping that one of them was the password.

"M&Ms," Ron shouted. "Skittles? Almond Joy!" The door still did not budge. "Hershey's?" Ron was getting agitated now. "Charleston Chew?! Lemon drop!"

It was Hermione's turn now. "Tootsie Roll? Carmel apple? Peanut brittle..." Suddenly the door opened. Ron had a very satisfied look on his face. "Thank God," Hermione said. Ron reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand, and the two walked up the stairs together. Slowly opening the door, they saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Granger and Miss Granger," he said. "I have some very unfortunate news for you...please, come closer." Ron and Hermione walked rather stiffly over to the desk and stood before it, Hermione stood closest to one of the many bookcases.

"I know you two and Mr. Potter were very good friends," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps the best friends I've seen since James, Remus and Sirius. But..."

"Is he back?" Hermione interrupted. "Is Harry coming back?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger. Harry's been killed," Dumbledore said softly.

"No!" Hermione screamed. She slid down the bookcase, knocking down some books on her way, and began to cry loudly. Ron fell to his knees, put his hand in his hair and cried.

Dumbledore sat silently for a few moments, searching for something, anything to say. "Would you like to stay here or go back to the Gryffindor dormitories?" Ron and Hermione were both silent except for their loud crying.

"I shall leave you here," Dumbledore said understandingly. "You may stay as long as you'd like. It's about time for dinner." He quickly conjured up a platter of sandwiches and two goblets and placed them on his desk. Without another word, Dumbledore leaves his office. Hermione crawled over to Ron on shaky arms. They looked into each other's sorrowful eyes, and Ron pulled Hermione into a tight embrace. The two friends continued to cry together throughout the night.

* * *

**(A/N) So how was it? Good? Or no? I know everyone's out of character, but just go with it. Review and I'll probably update sooner!! (wink, wink!!)**


	2. The Letter

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination!**

...read on!

****

Three weeks later, Ron and Hermione were still understandably stuck with grief for their fallen friend. The two were sitting on the couch in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Fellow Gryffindors were walking out the portrait hole to their classes. George Weasley stopped by the couch to talk to them.

"Hey guys," he said, "it's time for Charms. C'mon!" Ron and Hermione just sat still. George sighed. "Look. I know you guys are in pain," he said, "everyone is. But you can't start to get better if you just sit on the couch all day. Don't think I don't notice that you don't eat. I could bring you up some food from lunch today if you don't want to go to the Great Hall yourself."

Hermione looked up at George with a slightly glazed-over look in her eyes. "I'm not hungry."

"Neither am I," Ron said quietly. George, looking disappointed, walked out the portrait hole with the rest of the students. At first, the two just sat silently, but Ron piped up once they were alone.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said. "It's all my fault that this happened." Hermione turned to him with a look of surprise in her eyes. With the little bit of voice she had left, she spoke.

"Ron, it's no one's fault. Don't blame yourself for this, there was nothing you could have done."

"No, Hermione. I could've stopped him. But I was being to much of a coward to do anything about it. Why couldn't I have died instead?"

Hermione was appalled. "How could you say that? You would never do anything like that on purpose; Harry was your best friend."

"And I betrayed him." Ron looked down at his lap in shame. "How could anyone want to be my friend now? Everyone thinks I'm going to kill them too."

"Ron, listen to me. I want to be your friend. I guess I just don't understand how you can feel this way when I've been here the whole time, by your side, believing in you."

Ron quickly looked up. "You believe in me?"

Hermione smiled. "Of course I do," she said. Ron smiled back at her, gazing at those once again sparkling brown eyes.

* * *

_Ron and Harry were on broomsticks, playing their favorite game, Quidditch, with a golf ball on the grounds. Ron was throwing the ball for Harry to catch._

_"Catch, Harry!" Ron exclaimed as he threw the tiny golf ball hard and fast. Harry chased it at lightning speed and, despite it's size, he catches it and brings it back to Ron._

_"No matter how far I throw it, you always catch it!" Ron exclaimed. Harry laughed. The boys flew down to the ground and Harry pulled two Chocolate Frogs and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans out of his pocket. They sat down, munching on the snacks satisfactorily, laughing. Suddenly everything changes. The sky turns grey, it starts to rain, and Voldemort appears. Harry is standing, wand pointed at Voldemort, ready to strike. Voldemort laughed._

_"Harry!" Ron cried. "Look out!"_

_"You can't save him now, boy," Voldemort called. "He must die! Avada Kedavera!" A bright green light shot towards Harry, and when it hit him, he fell to the ground, appearing to be paralyzed. Ron began screaming, screaming..._

"Aggh!" Ron suddenly woke up, beads of sweat forming on his face. He jumped off the couch, waking Hermione up.

"What's wrong, Ron?" she asked groggily.

Ron appeared to be scared. "I...I saw him. In my dream. We were...we were laughing and, and..."

"Who did you see?" Hermione asked. "Did you see...Harry?" Ron nodded and sat back down, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Hermione looked upset and hugged him.

"Oh, Ron," she breathed. "I know you think it's your fault, but listen to me. You had nothing to do with it.

"I miss him so much."

"I miss him too, Ron. But there's nothing we can do about it." Ron turned and looked Hermione in the eyes.

"I'm glad to have you as a friend, Hermione," he said. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Hermione smiled at him. Ron thought about kissing Hermione, and he leaned in towards her a little. Hermione eagerly leaned forward to meet Ron's lips, but he decided against it and leaned away.

"Well," Hermione started, "I think I'm going to sleep in the girl's dormitory tonight. I'm going to talk to Ginny, I think she's probably really hurt too." She got up off the couch, walked halfway up the staircase, but stopped to talk to Ron again. "You know how much she liked...well. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah," Ron said. "Maybe we'll go to breakfast tomorrow?"

"'Night, Ron," Hermione said, grinning.

"Goodnight." He listened as Hermione climbed the stairs and entered the girls' dormitory, closing the door quietly. Ron sat for awhile. _"Does anyone around here even like me?" _he thought. _"They probably all hate me now that I've pretty much killed Harry. Maybe I should just leave Hogwarts." _Ron started to openly cry. _"What's the point of getting an education?" _he asked himself. _"God, I miss Harry so much. I didn't even say goodbye. Voldemort needs to die. I'll finish what Harry started." _Ron's mind was made up._ "I'll leave in the morning." _

* * *

Early the next morning, around 3AM, Ron was the only boy awake in the dormitory. He was going through his nightstand drawers, pulling out books and clothes and packing them in his rusty old hand-me-down trunk. After gathering all his belongings, he closed the trunk and slowly and quietly dragged the trunk out the door and down the spiral staircase. He sat down on the couch in front of the fire, got some parchment and his quill and began to write. 

"There," he said quietly as he finished the letter. He walked up the staircase again to the door leading to the girls' dormitory. Ron peeped in to make sure no one was awake, then creeped in and set the letter on Hermione's nightstand. He leaned over her head, brushing the hair back from her face.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her cheek. Hermione smiled in her sleep and turned over. Ron sighed, knowing he had to leave her. "Goodbye, Hermione."

* * *

"Hermione, wake up!" Lavendar Brown exclaimed. "It's 7:45, sleepy-head!" Hermione moaned then opened her eyes. The other girls were brushing their hair and putting on their makeup. 

"We didn't know you came up to the dorms until this morning!" Lavendar said. "Do you want to come have breakfast with us? You look famished."

"Sure," Hermione replied. "Oh, wait. I have to get Ron, he wants to go to breakfast with me today. I think he's feeling a lot better."

"Well, we're heading down now. Hurry up and get ready! Everyone will be so happy to see you out of the dorms again!" Lavendar beamed.

"Alright, I'll get going." Hermione sat up in bed as the other girls left. Quickly, she grabbed her black robes and put them on. As she grabbed for her hairbrush on her nightstand, she saw a letter. "What the..." Hermione picked it up and read;

_Dear Hermione, I'm leaving this place. I don't really see the point anymore. I'm going to track Voldemort down and finish him off. For Harry. I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye to you in person; I knew that if I told you, you would have stopped me. I want to thank you for being a good friend to me. I hope you can enjoy breakfast without me. Take care of Ginny, she won't understand. I'll come back for you after Voldemort is dead. Thank you, Hermione, and don't worry about me. Take care. Always, Ron._

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, sitting down on her bed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why did you do this to me, Weasley? First it was Harry, now you! Why?" There was a knock on the door, but Hermione didn't hear it. The door opens and Hermione sees Fred.

"Hermione?" he asked. "Are you okay? What's all this screaming about?"

"Oh, Fred. It's Ron...he's left." Hermione held up the letter, and Fred walked over to take the letter from her cautiously. He read it silently.

"Damnit, Ron!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Fred."

"What?" Fred looked up from the letter. "Why are you sorry?"

"It's my fault. I didn't tell him."

"Tell him what?"

"That I love him." Fred got a saddened look on his face, and he sat next to Hermione on the bed.

"It's not your fault, Hermione. Don't blame yourself for his actions." Fred paused. "You love him?"

"Yes, I do." Hermione said. "I never told him because he doesn't feel the same way." Fred put his arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"How about you come down to breakfast with me? We can talk some more."

* * *

**(A/N) Wow. I am so horrible to Hermione! Will her life get better...or worse? Review, my loyal followers!!**


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